An Unexpected Patient
by Miffy
Summary: Penny Valentine thought it was just going to be a normal day. And then a certain patient turns up...
1. Chapter 1

AAU was bustling with people as always. Patients came and went, although more seemed to be coming than going. Just a normal day. Dr Penny Valentine was embracing the challenge, and just generally enjoying her job.

"Hello!" Sacha Levy chirped up. "Mr Hanssen sent me down to the pit of doom that is AAU to join you."

"He's being nice? Giving us an extra member of staff?"

"Well, no. Not exactly. Mr Spence is 'ill' again, so I'm here instead. Yay!" Sacha created a mock celebration at his presence. "Well then, what've we got?"

* * *

Three hours later and the ward was moving like clockwork. The team of Sacha, Penny and Frieda and MarieClaire was working well. Penny was just about to go for a break when Oliver came down the stairs three at a time.

"Coffee, Pen?" He was obviously having a good day too.

The reasons for Oliver's happy mood came out over frothy cappuccino ten minutes later.

"… and then Greg let me close up the patient's chest afterwards!" Oli beamed.

"Little man crush developing again?" Penny raised her eyebrows. She loved teasing her little brother. "We'd better be getting back I suppose."

"Yeah," Oli agreed

* * *

"We've just had a new admission – female, late fifties, complaining of chest pain."

"Right, I'll just go and check it out" Penny replied, taking the notes from Sacha's hand. She looked down at the name on the front of the folder. Surely not?

Alison Valentine.

Not willing to believe this herself, Penny peered round the ward. There, in bed 2, lay her mother.


	2. Chapter 2

Dark Hair hung loose over her shoulders and the same, disapproving expression was plastered on her face.

Penny took a sharp intake of breath. Without her knowledge, Frieda had crept up behind her.

"Problem?" Frieda whispered in Penny's ear.

"You could say that?"

"I just did?"

"Oh, er, don't worry. It's just a saying. Sorry, it's just that well… er…she's my mother."

"Who?"

"Mrs Valentine in bed two,"

"No, really? Her?"

"Yep."

"Poor thing."

"Thanks, but she's not that bad, honestly."

"I was talking about your mother - having you as a daughter!"

"Thanks. Charming as always I see."

* * *

"Hello, Darwin ward."

"Oli, it's Penny!"

"Oh, hi, what's up?"

"Mum's here!"

"What! What does she want?"

"Well, if I was allowed to treat her I might know. I wasn't going to let her see me without you being here to help me out and put her in a good move! Please come and help, Oliver! I've been creeping around like a ninja so she doesn't notice me!"

"Is it serious?"

"She's got chest pains, but nobody has looked at her yet so I don't know how bad. Any chance you could get one of your Cardio friends to come and take a look? We're madly busy here and I doubt Mr Levy will get round to her for a least an hour!"

"I'll be there as soon as possible and I'll speak to Greg…"

"Thanks Oli!"


	3. Chapter 3

Oliver arrived on AAU just minutes later.

"Where is she?" He demanded, desperate to check that his mother was okay.

"Bed two." Penny replied, hesitantly.

"What's wrong Pen?"

"Well, it's just, you know me and Mum haven't always seen eye to eye…"

"Penny! She's ill! For God's sake just put your differences aside for just a few minutes! She's your mother!" Oliver gave Penny a rock hard stare. No way was she going to get away with chickening out of seeing their Mum.

Begrudgingly, Penny followed her brother to the other side of the ward. Oli pulled back the curtain.

"Oliver, Darling!" Alison greeted her son with open arms. "Oh, and Persephone!"

"It's Penny" Penny muttered under her breath, knowing full well that her mother would nonetheless insist on using her full name.

"Hello? What are you two doing here?" Sacha had arrived with what seemed to be test results.

"These are my lovely children I was telling you about!" Alison exclaimed to Mr Levy.

"What these two? Really?" Sacha seemed much perplexed. And he thought that this case was just going to be simple. In fact the test results had proved that it was going to be less than straightforward, especially now that children were involved.

"Um, I have your test results Mrs Valentine…" Sacha began, his eyes trying to signal to Oliver and Penny that their presence was neither required nor wanted.

"Anything you have to say to me can be said in front of Oliver and Persephone too."

"Have you been taking your medication?"

"Oh, I see. Well, I may have forgotten once or twice, but the majority of the time, yes."

"Excuse me, but what medication?" Oliver butted in, clearly confused about the discussion being had.

"Err… Mrs Valentine?" Sacha looked to her, unsure of whether he should explain or if she felt the words would be better coming from her. She looked at him and nodded, urging him to continue. It was time that they found out. "Your mother is taking medication to treat her HIV, the drugs she should have been taking should have increased her immune response, but the chest pain is due to an infection."

"HIV?" Oliver gasped in disbelief. Penny simply looked directly at her mother, searching for an explanation. "How?"

"I'll let you have some time…" Sacha made a swift exit. He was glad to get out of there; that had been awkward.

"There is something I need to tell you two." Alison began.

"Well clearly!" Oliver interrupted, enraged and slightly embarrassed about the whole situation.

"Oliver! Let Mum speak!" Penny scalded him.

"A long time ago, it must have been about 1983, I was coming home from work and…" Alison blinked away the tears as she recalled the story. "I was attacked by a man I didn't know and… well, he raped me…"

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I was so ashamed! I didn't even know that I'd contracted HIV until about 2 years ago, when I kept getting infections so I went to the Doctors and got tested."

"Pen?" Oliver nudged her sister, wanting to hear her thoughts on their mother's revelation. She'd clearly zoned out.

"You said this was in 1983, what month?" Penny asked, quietly.

"Well, it was a long time ago, I don't really remember…"

"What month?" Penny raised her voice, her eyes blinking back tears.

"September."

At this announcement, Penny ran out of the cubicle into the staffroom. Oliver followed her, clearly confused by her act.

"Pen! Don't worry, we would know if we had it! We got tested when we started medical school!" He reassured her.

"Oliver. Think about it!"

"What?"

"The dates! 1983!"

"Huh?"

"Mum said she was raped in September 1983. I was born in June 1984. What if I'm not really Dad's daughter…"


End file.
